Harry Benson is a computer analyst who works for the DOD and thinks machines are taking over the world. On top of his delusions, Harry was in a car accident which resulted in brain damage. Harry suffers from seizures which make him violent and he is wanted by the police. Most of the medical staff at University Hospital think he's a perfect candidate for surgery - implantation of a computer in his brain to stop the impulses triggering these seizures. All except his psychiatrist, Janet Ross, who realizes that Harry is psychotic and will feel that machines really are taking over at least taking over him. It all spirals out of control when after the operation, the nurses neglect to give him his medication. Then the race is on.

With a premise like that, this should have been an excellent book. However, it really fell flat. There was too much medical and computer speak, as well as too much interaction with the hospital staff and their hopes and dreams for fame and fortune. Granted some of this is necessary but 2/3 of the book? The ending was intense (and upped my rating to 3 stars) but the book itself merely rated 2 stars. A real disappointment from Crichton. I listened to this on audiotape otherwise I never would have finished it.

Good Medical Thriller. Even though it is 1971 in the book, the theory that is played out is intriguing. Man with brain disorder that causes violent outbursts, has computer implanted in his brain to prevent the outbursts by stimulating pleasure areas. Only he gets hooked on the feeling and excapes from the hospital.

Harry benson is prone to violent uncontrollable seizures and is under police guard for attacking two people.Dr.Roger Mcphersonhead of neurophciatric research unit is convinced he can cure Benson through a procedure called stage three. though the operation is a success,there is an unforseen development. And Benson exscapes a homocidal maniac.loose in the city nothing will stop his murderous rampages or impende his deadly agenda...

Set and written in the early 70s with themes around artificial intelligence, psychology, and mental disorders. Neat to flash back to a time when computers weren't quite omnipresent, but now it seems outdated. Not bad and a relatively short novel.

Harry Benson is prone to violent, uncontrollable seizures and is under police guard after attacking two people. Dr. Roger McPherson, head of the prestigious Neuropsychiatric Research Unit at University Hospital in Los Angeles, is convinced he can cure Benson through a procedure called Stage Three. During this highly specialized experimental surgery, electrodes will be place in the patient's brain, sending monitored, soothing pulses to its pleasure canyons. Though the operation is a success, there is an unforseen development. Benson learns how to control the pulses and is increasing their frequency. He escapes -- a homicidal maniac loose in the city -- and nothing will stop his murderous rampages or impede his deadly agenda .

Harry Benson suffers from violent seizures. So violent that he requires a police guard when entering a los Angeles hospital for treatment.
Dr. Roger McPherson, head of the prestigious Neuropsychiatric Research Unit, is convinced he can cure Benson through a procedure known as a stage three. During this highly specialized surgery, electrodes, placed deep in Benson's brain, send monitored soothing pulses to its pleasure canyons.
The operation is a succes - until Benson discovers how to get the pulses with increasing frequency. Then he escapes from the hospital and lapses into murderous rampages, becoming a homicidal maniac with a deadly agenda...

Harry Benson suffers from violent seizures. So violent that he requires a police guard when entering a Los Angeles hospital for treatment. Dr. Roger McPherson is convinced he can cure Benson through a procedure known as a stage three. During this highly specialized surgery, electrodes placed deep in Benson's brain send monitored soothing pulses to its pleasure canyons. The operation is a success--until Benson discovers how to get the pulses with increasing frequency. Then he escapes from the hospital and lapses into murderous rampages, becoming a homicidal maniac with a deadly agenda.

Harry Benson suffers from violent seizures so violent that he requires a police guard when entering a hospital for treatment. He escapes from a hosptial and lapses into murderous rampages.
A modern Frankenstein.

(The cover is not the same shown. It has a man with long wires coming out of his head.)